by James H. Heine Concordia Publishing House is one of only four winners of the 2011 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award–the country’s highest presidential honor for business-performance excellence through innovation, improvement and visionary leadership. CPH is the only nonprofit among the 2011 winners, announced Nov. 22. The 69 organizations that qualified for the award were
Is there a difference between being spiritual and being religious? by Rev. Travis J. Scholl You know this one-liner by now, don’t you? You’re talking with somebody in the grocery store, and somehow your church comes up. Then you get the look: the tilt of the head, the naive smile, the dewy eyes, the feigned
Religious life has become a buffet of beliefs, but does the First Commandment allow this?
USA Today reveals a drift from organized religion to do-it-yourself theology.
What the Church teaches and how she worships is utterly foreign to the world. Is that the way it is suposed to be? by Peter Berg If any people are predisposed to the lure of do-it-yourself religion and designer spirituality, it’s Americans. Our forefathers’ rugged American individualism, coupled with democratic ideals, led to a fierce
Children learn from their parents’ actions. How can you as a parent teach the faith to your kids? by Rev. Daniel A. Hinton A recent trip to the dentist with three young boys began, as it always does, with filling out the checklist. Two pages full of questions covered every possible facet of dental health.
The First Commandment forbids us from having other gods. Does that rule still apply, or is it just a dusty, archaic command? by Rev. Gaven Mize Have you ever heard of a Labradoodle? How about a Bullhuahua? Certainly you have heard of a Schnoodle, right? No? They are designer dogs–canine creations that allow you to
by Rev. Dr. Greg Wismar As the days of summer bring us more daylight for enjoying the full creation with which God has blessed us, we think about expanding our time spent getting some beneficial exercise. Health professionals have often noted that cardio exercise is great for people in many ways. Cardio receives its name
This issue discusses the trend of “do-it-yourself” or “cafeteria” religion—what one of our authors calls choosing our doctrines from a “buffet of beliefs.”
Our Lord bids us to pray, but where do we start? by Gregg Hein It is bedtime. My younger children–ages 10, 8 and 5–have just finished jostling for position to brush and spit and complete the rest of the routine. The obligatory debate about whose room we’ll be praying in tonight is set-tled by my
by Rev. Dr. Jerald C. Joersz Q: In both the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds, we confess that Jesus “rose again” from the dead. English versions of the Bible also say in a few passages that Jesus rose again (e.g., Mark 8:31 and 1 Thess. 4:14). Doesn’t this imply that Jesus rose a second time? Why not
by Rev. Dr. Greg Wismar “The flowers in church today are given to the glory of God by . . .” For most churches, having a weekly display of flowers in the chancel is a virtual expectation. Hard-working flower committees (or altar guilds or chancel societies, depending on local custom) see to it that appropriately